Building-block.



No. 863,435. PATENTED AUG. 13, 1907. H. L. PEGRAM.

BUILDING BLOCK. v APPLICATION FILED nuns, 1906.

WITNESSES INVENTOR A TTOHNEYS THE-NORRIS PETERS co., wAsHmonm. n, c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BUILDING-BLOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 13, 1907.

Application filed July 25,1906. Serial No. 327,633.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HOWARD LEONZO PEGRAM, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Mulvane, in the county of Sumner and State of Kansas, have invented a new and Improved Building-Block, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to building blocks adapted to be formed'of cement or other material when in a plastic condition, and has for its object to produce a block adapted to be laid in courses or tiers to form a wall, and so constructed as to provide air chambers in the blocks themselves, and continuous air chambers between the blocks when they are arranged in series to form one of the courses of a wall. This I accomplish by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which drawings like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout the views, and in which Figure 1 is a plan view of building blocks embodying my invention arranged in inner and outer series to form one of the courses of a wall; Fig. 2 is a plan view of a mold adapted to form the blocks; and Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the mold shown in Fig. 2, hinged to a supporting base.

As illustrated in the drawings, 4 represents a mold or flask having a partition 5 extending diagonally across the mold. Oppositely disposed blocks 6 are secured to the bottom of the mold and serve as cores to form compartments 1 2 and 3 ,which may be of any suitable depth corresponding to the thickness desired for the blocks to be formed therein. The cement or other material to be used to form the block is placed in the chambers l 2 and 3 filling such compartments flush with the upper surface of the mold. If desired a follower may be used having projections corresponding in shape to the compartments of the mold and be pressed down on to the plastic material. The mold 4 is preferably hinged to a supporting base 7 by means of hinged connections 9, and is adapted to be turned over on to a platform or shelf 8 lower than the supporting base. By turning over the mold on to the shelf 8 the blocks may be released from the mold and left deposited on the shelf 8 and the mold again refilled. The blocks are constructed in the form of a; right angle triangle having an end plate 2, a back plate 3 extending diagonally from the extremity of the end plate 2 to a side plate 1, the side plate extending from the end plate beyond the back plate 3, therebyforming a projecting lip 1. The interior of the block is preferably made hollow, and the side plate 1 and projecting lip 1 thicker than the end and back plates.

In forming a course of blocks and arranging such courses in tiers to form a wall, the blocks are arranged in a double series, with the back plates 3 of the blocks of one series oppositely disposed to the back plates of the blocks of the opposite series, the side plates 1 of the blocks of each series facing outwardly from the wall, and the projecting lip 1 of the side plate 1 of one block bearing against the opposite end of the side plate of the adjacent block of the same series, as shown in Fig. 1. The back plates 3 of the blocks of opposite series are preferably separated from each other so as to form air spaces between them. The projecting lip 1 of the side plate 1 of a block projects beyond the end of the back plate 3 a greater distance than the thickness of the end plate 2, and, therefore, even when the back plate of a block of one series is in contact with a corresponding plate of a block of the opposite series, a transverse air passage will be left between the end plate 2 of a block of one series and the corresponding and oppositely disposed end plate 2 of the adjacent block of the opposite series, as shown in Fig. 1. By means of such transverse and diagonal passage-ways arranged between two opposite series of blocks a continuous air chamber is formed which may extend not only along the entire length of a wall, but even around a corner, and along a wall or partition formed at an angle to the main Wall. The members of each series of blocks may if desired be cemented together, and secured by cement or other binding material to the course of blocks above and below them.

By means of the construction herein shown and described, a wall may be built of blocks having a hollow interior and so arranged as to provide air spaces between the blocks themselves, thereby producing a wall simple and cheap in construction and effective in keeping out rain and frost, and especially effective as a protection against fire.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A course of building blocks having end plates, hack plates extending diagonally therefrom, and side plates formed at a right angle to the end plates and extending beyond the back plates, arranged in reversely disposed inner and outer series to form wall faces with transverse air passages between the extended ends of the side plates of adjacent blocks of the inner and outer series, and diagonal air spaces communicating therewith between the back plates of adjacent blocks of the inner and outer series, substantially as shown and described.

2. A building block in the form of a right angle triangle, provided with a projecting lip extending in line with the side plate of said block, substantially as shown and described.

3. A building block constructed in the form of a right angle triangle, with a hollow interior, and a projecting lip extending in line with the side plate of said block, substantially as shown and described.

4. A building block constructed in the form of a right angle triangle, and comprising an end plate, a back plate extending diagonally from the end plate, and a side plate thicker than the end and back plates connected with said plates, and provided with a lip projecting beyond the extremity of the back plate, substantially as shown and described.

5. A building block comprising an end plate, a back plate extending diagonally therefrom, and a side plate formed at a right angle to the end plate and at an acute angle to the back plate, provided with a lip projecting beyond the end of the back plate and adapted when arranged in opposite series to form continuous inner and outer walls with transverse air passages between the'lips of the said plates of the adjacent blocks of the opposite series, and diagonal air passages between the back plates of the adjacent blocks of the opposite series communicating with said transverse air passages, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HOWARD LEONZO PEGRAM.

Witnesses Cims. I". TURNER, F. S. BUTTS. 

